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 Posted: Oct 15, 2014 10:00AM
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CA

Oh, ROO's new suspension components took all the potential jarring out of our 125 mile ride Monday.  Ken, who crossed to Mid-Ohio/MMEMW with me jumped in, it was the first time with both seats occupied.

Small adjustmenst to right rear and left front...might need to tweak right front (driver's side) again then leave it alone for some more miles.  Rear seems to be about right both sides.

I'm prepared for a somewhat longer settling in of the Moulton Smootha-Ride cones up front.  Adjustments are fairly straightforward, remove wheel, use marker on adjusting nut to better count flats etc.  6" steel ruler allows a check beyond simply counting exposed threads.

 Posted: Oct 15, 2014 06:50AM
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Loved the p[icture of Mad Max's MFP Special. I spent a couple of days in Broken Hill, next to Silverton where they filmed the movies.

If it's not Scottish....it's crap! (Cry of the Mini Tartan Owners' Clan)

 Posted: Oct 14, 2014 09:41AM
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CA

No entry fee for the Thanksgiving Day drive - any older vehicle can take part Spitz...might have been 3 times as many or more (there were just 65) if people had not been influenced by the weather forecast.

We never did get the heavy rain that had been forcast.

 Posted: Oct 13, 2014 09:13PM
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CA

Nice cars.......until I scrolled further to see the NA stuff....lol

As for the weather....supposed to be 20 tomorrow!  was 18 today...wow.....was a great day.  Drove five LBCs

 

"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May

"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge

 

 

 

 Posted: Oct 13, 2014 07:26PM
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Member since:Nov 2, 2006
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CA

A Canadian Thanksgiving early morning drive organized by Classic Car Adventures...from Capilano University in North Vancouver up Howe Sound to the Sea to Sky Gondola, Squamish...donations to the Food Bank.

Heavy rain was forecast but moisture did not hinder the drive...in fact, we returned south in bone dry, brightening conditions.

A few Minis and a variety of other machinery...we were home before 1 pm in time to get ready for Thanksgiving Dinners.

Oh, ROO might benefit from a tweak on the right rear height!

 Posted: Oct 10, 2014 11:09AM
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Member since:Nov 2, 2006
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CA


No Dan I just got the cones, had 4 new knuckles, new rear adjusta rides to go with the existing adjusta rides up front (last June).  I think the front will have some settling to do as the rubber doughnuts are certainly taller than the standard items.

However out of the box, the rears are within 1/2" of each other and the fronts about the same, with the driver's side (right/RHD) a little higher than the passenger side...when empty.

At the rear I may ultimately decide to put the stock LWB alloy trumpets back in to return the wider seat to the doughnuts.

Am interested to see how it goes.  No real bumps yet but seems softer over minor surface variations.

 Posted: Oct 10, 2014 09:32AM
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CA

Rick,

Did you get the complete Moulton Smooth-a-Ride kit including the knuckles and adkustable trumpets?

When I bought the kit years ago, I found the shaft on the knuckles to be a larger diameter than the stock ones I pulled out.
I also found that I had to wind in the Moulton adjutable trumpets all the way, and still had a high-rider. Magazine articles of the time said the front Moulton cones (rubber springs), which are taller than stock settle in considerably after a few weeks. Several years later I still have lots of ground clearance.

The only adjustment of ride height I did was to level the front with the rear jacked up at one pint in the middle for a 3-point support, then do the same at the back with the front able to pivot. The back is slightly higher than the front as it should be. Lastly I put in a wee bit of lift on the driver's side to compenate for driver weight so the car is closer to level when I'm driving down the road.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Oct 10, 2014 08:19AM
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Member since:Nov 2, 2006
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CA

Interrupted several times during the week but all buttoned up yesterday, out for a test drive last night...nothing fell off, no strange noises.

interesting, I did not need to compress the Valley Rubber spring in the left front to remove the upper suspension arm...arm and adjustable cone came out assembled and went back in that way under the compressed Moulton rubber.  Also interesting that the front adjustable cones are closed right up even though they are shorter than the Moulton pair...

Will take up to Pitt Lake today over some rougher pavement to help settle the suspension.

 Posted: Oct 7, 2014 08:56AM
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Last post: Sep 29, 2022
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CA
Image Gallery

Been busy on the Aussie Window Van in the last few days...

Mounted the new Yokie A539s on the refreshed 12" alloys on Saturday.  The 12" Falkens that went on the front in Australia and only had the Brisbane to Melbourne and Tasmania drive before a few miles here in Canada then the 7,000 mile trip to Mid-Ohio, Milwaulkee and home, arrived home on the back as near slicks.

Then had to give in and re & re the starter in 20 minutes before a run on Sunday a.m.  The power post became wobbly on the North American drive, a situation I addressed here at home with a short length of 2"x3" the few times I drove the Mini.  Would not start Sunday a.m., so the genuine Lucas rebuilt starter came off the parts shelf (where it had waited its turn for years) and went into ROO.

Monday started on recovery from the installation of NEW crap rubber cones last June...cones that kept on collapsing as we travelled across Canada to Mid-Ohio, Milwaukee and back home.  Was fortunate to be able to get a set of Alex Moulton's Smooth-a-Ride cones and installed the rear cones (easy task) in the afternoon.  Will get after replacing the front cones this morning.

In the first photo you can see the 4 washers (1/4") on the left rear that gave us a nominal additional 1 1/4" height increase at the left rear on the service at White River, Ontario after 5 days on the road.

In the second photo, the refreshed rims with swirl polish of lips, metallic silver and clear coat look clean and not so garish.  Love the A539s, a tire not readily available in Australia.

The two starters in the third photo...even my wife was impressed with the short re & re time (love the Clubby nose).